Video Studio Prox4 wmv fille too big for DVD

[Graham Robson]

Have done a VS Pro x4 film . . . and the resultant WMV file is too big for a DVD . . . how do I get around that problem?

[Ken Berry]

First off, how big is the resulting file? I assume you are talking about its size when it has been converted to a DVD-compatible mpeg-2... (A WMV cannot be burned directly to a DVD except as an archive/storage disc.) And how long does it run for? This latter is important as you will see below.

I also assume you had your wmv file in the editing module, did your editing, and then went straight to Share > Create Disc > DVD... If so, you might want to consider splitting up this workflow and first creating the DVD-compatible mpeg-2 in the editing module, rather than letting it happen in a less controlled way in the burning module. If this was not your workflow, then simply implement the following workflow.

When you have finished editing, choose instead Share > Create Video File. Then, depending on the length of your project, you will have a number of choices to make. If your project is 60 - 70 minutes long, you could just choose 'DVD' and this will create an mpeg-2 file which should fit on a single layer DVD using the best quality bitrate of 8000 kbps which is in the default DVD template. If, however, your project is longer than 60 - 70 minutes, then you have to lower the bitrate in proportion to the increasing length of the project. In other words, the longer the project, the lower the bitrate has to be. The corollary of this, however, is that the lower the bitrate, the lower the end quality will be. As a rough guide, a 90 - 100 minute project will require a bitrate of around 6000 kbps, and a 2 hour project will use around 4000 kbps. Note that in the latter case, the end quality will be no better than decent quality VHS tape.

To adjust the bitrate (and other properties), you choose Share > Create Video File > Custom. Make sure mpeg-2 is set in Save As Type in the dialogue box which appears. Then click the Options button and on the Compression tab which appears, change the bitrate down from the default 8000 kbps. You should also change the audio to Dolby from the default LPCM as Dolby is more highly compressed and thus leaves more room for a bit more video to fit onto the DVD. Give your new file a name, then close the first dialogue box and the conversion will begin.

When you have your new mpeg-2, start a new project (File > New Project). Don't bother with a name: the objective is merely to clear the editing timeline. Then choose Share > Create Disc > DVD. The burning module will open and you manually insert your new mpeg-2 using Add Media. Note: if anything is in the burning timeline when you first open it, delete it before you manually add your new mpeg-2. This will happen if you don't create a New Project in the editing module. What then appears in the burning timeline automatically is your project file, and you don't want this since it is really only what happens in your original workflow and will again produce something which is too large for a DVD.

Then build your menu and burn.

Note also that you are not using much more time with this workflow than you would with your original workflow. The time for conversion of the project to mpeg-2 takes the same whether it happens in the editing module or in the burning module. Your original workflow should work, but you have less control over the end result. A number of us here have learnt over the years that it is often better to take a more step-by-step approach.

[Graham Robson]

Hello! That is incredibly useful and thank you for taking so much time over it and replying so quickly. This is very good PR for Corel . . . I think I may well upgrade to X7.

I had, indeed, kind of found the answer, obviously along the lines of what you said. An m2t file of the project "shared" comfortably onto the DVD. I had thought plonking a wmv file on a DVD was going to be good for doing multiple copies. As it happens, doing it using the m2t file [took 29 minutes] allows you to follow on doing subsequent copies at around 7 minutes a time. Fantastic!

Thank you again.

Graham

[skier-hughes]

I'm sure Corel will be delighted with the good PR, but we are all volunteers who use VS and give our time freely as we enjoy doing it.......... none of us work for Corel
Glad you have the result you needed.

[Ken Berry]

An m2t file of the project "shared" comfortably onto the DVD.

I am also glad to hear things worked out for you. But I think I need to correct one little thing in your message. The mpeg-2 file I was referring to above is a standard definition DVD-compatible mpeg-2, with the extension being .mpg. You refer to .m2t which denotes a high definition mpeg-2.